Your blood-pressure reading could be due to the way you sit

Lower your blood pressure instantly with this one quick trick

You could say that we, as a nation, suffer from a good dose of hypertension hysteria!

But before you even start to worry about your readings, the first thing to consider is how your readings are being taken. Because while your doc, nurse, or even dentist may act like that’s no big deal, it really is.

And that means that if you’ve been told that you suffer from high blood pressure, the way to “cure” it isn’t an exercise plan, one of those green drinks, or even another drug.

The best-kept secret in medicine

This stunning way to lower your numbers was first discovered almost two decades ago by Canadian researchers. But the chances are slim to none that your doctor has told you about it… or even knows himself.

Once this secret comes out of hiding, however, huge numbers of Americans will suddenly be able to lose their high blood pressure – along with the risky drugs they take to treat it!

Over 19 years ago, a group of Canadian researchers made a startling discovery: When you cross your legs, your blood pressure goes up!

And not by just a smidgen, either. They found that the systolic (or top) number can jump by up to 10 points. So, a reading that’s already close to the current cut-off number for being prescribed an Rx med can easily be pushed over the top by just idly putting one leg over the other.

A more recent study from the Netherlands confirmed that crossing your legs at the knee will raise your pressure (interestingly, crossing at the ankles doesn’t). And just last year, researchers from Australia collected seven more studies showing how this common habit can influence your BP readings.

It’s like the best-kept secret in medicine! Why, when that first study came out from Canada, the conclusion was that “care should be taken to ensure that the patient’s feet are flat on the floor” when BP is being measured.

So, why don’t more doctors know about this? Or if they do, why don’t they enforce it?

I’ve had my blood pressure taken with the cuff over a sweater, while tilted back on the dentist chair, and — I’m sure — with my legs crossed.

But even if you’re following these “rules” for how you should sit, other important factors come into play here as well.

Last year, I told you how University of Montreal researchers found that around 20 percent of those supposedly with high blood pressure (which translates to around 14 million in the U.S.) have been misdiagnosed thanks to docs and nurses using outdated equipment.

Getting a truly accurate reading takes around 12 to 15 minutes, the researchers said. And the manually inflated cuff and stethoscope should have gone the way of the horse and buggy. For a more precise measurement, docs should be using an automated “oscillometric” device, and they should be taking several readings in succession.

Although your doctor may make it seem as if taking your blood pressure accurately is a simple matter, remember that being diagnosed with hypertension leads right to an Rx for one (or more) of those risky meds to lower it.

So, before you’re pressured to start up on one of these drugs (which are known to cause dizziness and falls) make sure your blood pressure is being taken correctly by keeping these three important steps in mind:

#1 Don’t chat it up with the nurse or doctor while a reading is being done. In fact, you should have at least 5 minutes of quiet time before the cuff goes on. And that shouldn’t be placed over a shirt, either, but on your bare arm. Another thing to remember is what’s known as “white coat syndrome” — normal blood pressure that goes sky high when taken in a doctor’s office (something you can “diagnose” yourself by taking readings at home when you’re more relaxed).

#2 Don’t drink coffee or any other caffeinated drinks for at least 30 minutes before having your pressure taken.

#3 If your reading is high, ask your doc to take it again. A new study found that a second reading drops around 10 points on average. And make sure your legs aren’t crossed!

And if you’re currently on a med for hypertension, make an appointment to visit your doctor ASAP with these findings at hand.

The truth is that millions are put on unnecessary drugs to lower their blood pressure all the time –- and you very well may be one of them!

“Do you know the best way to take at-home BP?” Anthony Pearson, MD, May 21, 2018, Medpage Today, medpagetoday.com